Chapter 106: The Zhongyi Conference Room

Xu Danni spoke with full awareness.

“Actually, I think it would be quite fitting for the two of you to do the interview together. Sometimes, when facing rumors, it’s better to be more open and confident. Besides, as far as I know, Qing Shan’s Han Yu is excellent—he could easily serve as the on-site translator!”

The eyes of Liu Qingshan and Han Shanping met once again. Perhaps sensing the subtle joy in each other’s gaze, he nodded instinctively.

Yuan Lili timely added, “Don’t worry, there’s no trap here for you to fall into, and besides, you’ll have the final say on the editing.”

The subsequent interview is not worth mentioning. Instead, let’s focus on a certain place in Kyoto—a room thirty-some floors up.

At the center of a long table sat Wang Zhongjun, the powerful head of Zhongyi Entertainment Company.

Beside him was the second boss, Wang Zhonglei, along with several middle-aged men.

“Are you all clear on the situation? Currently, Huaying has taken over the domestic investment of ‘Kung Fu.’ And as far as I know, Yang Wancheng, who originally came to us, rushed straight to No. 55, Xinwai Street right after stepping off the plane!”

No. 55, Xinwai Street, is where Huaying is located—a place familiar to every film production company.

“Didn’t expect there was a connection between Liu Qingshan and Han Shanping, and it’s because of Ge Daqian?”

This was said by Wang Zhonglei.

“Ge Daqian definitely played an important role in this; he’s undoubtedly involved,” another middle-aged man chimed in.

“It’s too late to talk about this now. Honestly, I’m to blame. Thinking back, my attitude at the time was indeed a bit stiff,” Wang Zhongjun sighed.

Wang Zhonglei shook his head. “Brother, the fault lies in you personally stepping in. If it had been me, my attitude would have been even more forceful. Just look at our proud Zhongyi Entertainment—should we really be cautious dealing with a greenhorn like him?”

“But the problem is, that attitude caused huge losses! Everyone here has seen ‘Kung Fu,’ a rare masterpiece!”

“A great work still needs to be released domestically. Isn’t Zhou Xingchi’s ‘Shaolin Soccer’ a prime example?”

“Zhonglei, you’re still too young. Now that Huaying has made their move, do you think our methods can outmatch theirs?”

“We could try another approach, like overusing special effects.”

Because of ‘Shaolin Soccer,’ the overuse of CGI effects has become a hot topic in domestic media.

Here, “overuse” implies a certain extravagance, because special effects aren’t simply a matter of having money—you really have to be careful with them.

A single special effect sequence requires preliminary design, meticulous shooting plans, and countless rounds of post-production adjustments.

Even if a crew is wealthy, with a director dining on Australian steak every night and actors drinking rare coffee daily, why would they willingly torment themselves with endless special effects work? Every VFX project sees both client and vendor cursing under their breath, wishing they could strangle each other.

Audiences often misunderstand, thinking that if something can’t be filmed practically, just use CGI and be done with it.

But it’s like trying to fit an elephant into a refrigerator. Creating effects isn’t just a few clicks on a keyboard—don’t underestimate us mouse-wielding workers.

Since this was an internal discussion, and domestic competitors were plentiful, a few foreign films were mentioned subtly.

These Hollywood blockbusters are known in the industry as having nothing but effects—especially Transformers, which essentially serve as a showcase for visual effects companies. But at least the booming sound in theaters is undeniably thrilling.

Thus, this topic was raised again at this meeting.

Another voice said, “So what? At least the booming sound in theaters is thrilling. Special effects are the future direction of film. To tamper with that would be unwise. Maybe it worked for ‘Kung Fu,’ but what about the future? Are we still going to continue making films?”

This remark immediately silenced Wang Zhonglei.

“All things are in motion and development. Our country’s CG effects have gone from non-existent, to overused, to properly utilized. This is a normal process. If we view this with a developmental perspective, our films will surely get better and better.”

Another person harshly rebuked Wang Zhonglei, with the tone of a teacher scolding a student.

“So what do you suggest? I was humiliated by a mere extra, and Huaying didn’t even bother to call for a word of accommodation!”

Finally, Wang Zhongjun stood up to speak on behalf of his younger brother, Wang Zhonglei.

“Just as Zhonglei said, our prestigious Zhongyi Entertainment cannot allow a newcomer to act arrogantly. Let’s let this matter go for now; there will be plenty of opportunities to deal with him later.”

The first middle-aged man spoke again.

“How do you plan to deal with him?” the second middle-aged man suddenly interrupted. “Have you investigated this person? Do you know what he’s currently working on, and what his next moves will be? Minister Wang, why don’t you brief us on the investigation regarding this individual?”

As if not expecting any response, he swiftly looked toward a middle-aged woman present.

Minister Wang calmly opened a stack of papers before her and read slowly.

“Liu Qingshan is currently on the set of ‘The Return of the Condor Heroes,’ this year’s major production by the National Television Station. Division Director Ge Daqian is personally overseeing the set. His next film is called ‘SPL,’ directed by Ye Weixing, starring Ren Jiahua, Zhen Zijian, Liao Qizhi, and Hong Dabao. Previously, he appeared in a role in ‘The Myth.’ Next Wednesday, the National Television Station will air the variety show ‘Entertainment All Stars,’ featuring Chen Long and Jin Xishan, the leads from ‘The Myth,’ performing the theme song. Then comes the shooting of ‘Kung Fu.’ Whether Liu himself will act is uncertain, but his Snowfield Studio will undertake all the CG effects for the film!”

“Understand?” the man who had spoken earlier continued. “This series of film and television projects all involve one key figure: Liu Qingshan. In fact, only his influence spans across these projects. Moreover, there is another critical point that cannot be ignored: reliable sources say Liu Qingshan possesses martial arts skills, and he has impressed our country’s only master-level figure, Yu Chenhui, so much that Yu dispatched people to follow him and even presented him with a treasured sword!”

“I can understand the earlier points, but what’s the significance of Yu Chenhui’s special regard?” Wang Zhonglei asked, somewhat resentful.

“Heh, what significance? Sword Saint Yu Chenhui’s martial prowess is terrifying, yet he willingly entrusted his own nephew and beloved disciple to be trained by someone else. Doesn’t that say something?”

“Are you saying his martial arts surpass the master level? How is that possible?”

“Whether he surpasses or not, I do know that casually offending a person like him would be a disaster!”

“Minister Liu, your words are a bit alarmist. Could he really use force to retaliate against us? Don’t forget, we are the capital; without money, he couldn’t even make a single film!”

“Mr. Wang, your brother seems a bit out of his mind. I think today’s meeting should be adjourned for now!”

Minister Liu expressed his stance quite bluntly.

Wang Zhongjun hurriedly stood, waving his hand. “Zhonglei is young and a bit rash in speech. I’ll apologize on his behalf. You are all veterans of Zhongyi; don’t bother arguing with him.”